So, why would this guy NEVER say crap about this all these years!
He just let stories perpetuate, whereas he may have helped straighten some of this mess out years ago!
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I think he was afraid.
He picked up the bullet with good intentions, but after that he panicked. He wanted to find a supervisor, but him just placing it on the stretcher tells me he regretted picking up the bullet and didn’t want to cause a major confrontation over removing it from the car. The fact that he quit the service that year and kept it a secret as well suggests to me that he was ashamed and/or fearful about what transpired.
Sounds quite plausible.